Long season just ‘part of Formula 1 now’ – Raikkonen

Kimi Raikkonen has given only lukewarm backing to fellow F1 veteran Fernando Alonso’s recent complaint about the long race schedule.

Like this year, 21 races have also been scheduled for 2017 but new owners Liberty Media have talked about expanding the calendar even further.

“The big point is that we travel too much and have too many races back-to-back,” Alonso, who has been on the grid since 2001, when there were 17 races, said.

“To me, it’s just too much,” he added.

When asked about the bustling calendar, Ferrari driver Raikkonen – who also debuted in 2001 – agrees with Alonso that it is a tiring schedule for the teams.

“When we finish the races this year it will be close to Christmas,” the Finn told Brazil’s UOL Esporte, “so there will not be long until it all starts again.

“For everyone on the team it is a long year and there is not much time to relax and prepare,” Raikkonen admitted.

“But whoever isn’t happy can stay at home, because there’s always someone else who wants to be here. It is a fact that longer seasons are part of formula one now and who knows what will still happen in the future,” he said.